Into the Darkness
by Ranonymous
Summary: Ran, daughter of Odin, sister of Thor, and twin sister of Loki, is about to learn how sinister she and her brother can be. Will Loki drag her into the darkness with him, or will she fight her way out of it? Loki/OC
1. Chapter 1

**So, I had a hard time getting started with this story. Let me know what you guys think and I'll update it if it's well received. **

**Thanks!**

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"Are we bad children, Mother?"

That question had been asked for so long that Frigga practically had her response memorized. When her daughter first asked the question when she was a small child, Frigga was so surprised, she could barely respond, but know she knew all the other times before were just trial runs for this.

"Ran," she sighed, pulling her daughter's head into her bosom, raking her fingers through the long, dark locks that covered it. "You are my children. You and your brother both. My precious babies."

Standing on the edge of the shattered rainbow bridge, the answer didn't seem to matter. Loki was gone and Ran was left alone. Even in the days after, Frigga would still find her daughter standing by the edge of the bridge like a faithful dog waiting for its' master.

"Let us go back to the Palace, my child. Dinner is upon us."

"No, Mother." Ran pulled herself away from Frigga, rejecting the warm comfort of family or friends. "What if he returns?"

Frigga could never understand the depth of Ran and Loki's relationship. Since birth, the two were inseparable, well, since Ran's birth.

She could still recall the night Odin brought Loki into their chambers, wrapped doubly in cloths to keep his cries quiet.

_"Look my dear," Odin whispered to her, "A healthy baby boy. Not much older than our Ran."_

_Frigga shook her head, doubtful of her husband. "Odin, nursemaids were present at the birth. Do not toy with my emotions like this. Our son is dead; only Ran survived." Odin shook his head. When he found the baby in Jotunheim, he thought for a brief moment of his perished son. _

_"This boy will do great things for this kingdom one day, Frigga." Odin laid the baby in her arms, pulling the cloth back to reveal his soft, white skin and dark hair. "He even looks like Ran."_

_The moment her eyes fell upon him, she knew that he was her son. Brushing her finger across his small cheek, she could feel the soft glow of innocence he gave off, the same glow her own son gave off moments before his death._

_"Thor has a new baby brother and sister." she smiled. Rising from her bed, she made her way over to the small bassinet that held Ran's tiny form and placed the new baby beside her. At once, the baby positioned its' forehead to touch Ran's, nuzzling her and drifting deeper into sleep. "We have twins, Odin."_

_Her husband joined her at the crib's side, his arm around her waist. "That we do, Frigga."_

_"Ran… and Loki."_

* * *

Ran walked down the marble corridor, her armor slightly clicking with each step. Excitement rose in her belly, bursting out onto her face with a large grin. Today was the day of her eldest brother's coronation as King of Asgard and she could not be more excited. She quickened her step as she turned the corner, only to be met by Loki.

"Odin's beard!" she yelled in surprise, covering her heart with her hand through her breastplate. A small chuckle came from her brother.

"Jumpy today, Ran?"

Her smile returned. "Today is Thor's coronation. I have an energy I cannot contain."

"I can see." A small smile gracing his thin lips. This is why he loved her so. Her childlike innocence was so charming to him that he could not resist it.

"I am _not _innocent." She pulled him out of his thoughts. He stared at her for a moment, her arms crossed with a small pout in her lips, then brought his finger up to her nose, tapping it.

"We must not meddle in other's minds, Ran. It is unsettling."

Ran's defense skyrocketed. She tightened the lock her arms had cross her chest and repositioned her feet. "Do not presume to know anything about my innocence."

A dark laugh emanated from Loki's throat before he reached his hands around her waist, pulling her closer to him and lowering his green eyes to hers. Closing her eyes and loosening her arms, she fell into his trance. Catching each note of his voice.

"You are as fresh and clean as newly fallen snow." He was so close to her, she could smell his sweet breath. His hand travelled up her back, reaching the bottom of her dark hair and toying with it. "Stay away from the weapon's vault."

This made her eyes snap open, "What?" she asked, but he had already disappeared.

* * *

The Grand Hall was filled to the brim with the citizens of Asgard and the royalty of other various places, just to see Thor's rise to king. Long, red tapestries hung from the ceiling, connecting with all of columns that wore red ribbon spinning all the way to the floor. On golden staircase leading to the throne stood Loki and Ran, along with their mother and Lady Sif.

"Stop adjusting your gown in view of our guests." Loki's deep voice grumbled in a whisper. Ran shot him a look as she pushed her bodice up once more. "You do not see Father or I behaving in such a way."

"Well," she scoffed, twisting her upper body into a comfortable position, "Your manhood is not being squeezed and pushed into the rest of your organs." Ran, not being accustomed to gowns, struggled and ached for freedom from the wretched thing. Beautiful, though it was, light blue with golden piping, a tightly fit bodice to display her breast and small waist and a long train, Ran could not wait to escape it.

Loki opened his mouth to retort, but was cut short by the sound of ruckus cheering.

"So it begins." She heard him mumble under his breath. Loki loved Thor, she knew, more than anyone, but sometimes his antics seemed too much for the God of Mischief to handle. Thor's showboating as he walked down the aisle to Odin intensified with every burst of joy from the crowd.

"This is going to be a long ceremony." She sighed, only loud enough for her and Loki to hear. A slight chuckle left him as he bent down, his lips close to her ear.

"Just wait."

Thor finally made it to the bottom of the golden steps, kneeling before his father, a cocky smile spread out on his lips as he winked to Frigga and Ran.

The loud metal _clang_ from Odin's staff hitting the floor signaled the beginning of the ceremony. At once, all of the people shut up and turned their attention to the fading king.

"Thor Odinson, my heir, my first born." Odin's voice wavered with emotion only for a moment before returning to its authoritative tone. "So long entrusted with the mighty hammer Mjolnir, that was forged in the heart of a dying star. Its power has no equal; as a weapon to destroy or a tool to build. Tis a fit companion for a king."

As Ran listened, a strange feeling washed over her. A darkness crept into the back of her mind that she longed would disappear. Turning her head to Loki, she saw him fidget and a look grew on his face. It was his look of mischief, like a bad little boy who was waiting for someone to sit on the tack he had placed on a chair.

_Loki._ She called to him inwardly. _What have you done?_

The absence of her father's voice made her snap to attention. She looked to him, the concern on her face matching his.

With two words, her blood ran cold. Her father's gruff voice, clear and unwavering.

"Frost giants."

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**Reviews are needed! Please review if you enjoyed the first chapter. The second one will be up shortly!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey! So, this one is kind of technical. The next one will be way more concentrated on Ran and Loki. **

**A big thanks to Queen Serenity for telling me about the pairing feature and to all of you that reviewed and favorited. Ya'll are awesome. **

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"Ran?"

She sat on his bed. The green sheets still smelled like him. Deep pine and sweet peppermint filled her, trying to recreate Loki in some way. The silk bedding brushed against her skin as she wrapped it around herself. How many times had she been in his bedroom, wrapped in his sheets? Too many to count now.

"Sister?" The voice's deep timber was all too familiar to her. Her eyes remained closed, ignoring his calls.

"Ran. Look at me."

Uncovering her head, she looked to him, the Thunder God standing in the doorway with a plate of food in his hand. His blonde hair looked longer to her, his clothes more loose-fitting from being on earth and not getting the daily nourishment he was accustomed to.

"What do you want, Thor?" Her voice was flat and emotionless, cutting him like a razor. He forced a smile at her, trying his best to hide the fact he was hurting too. To Ran, he was doing a terrible job.

"I wished that you would join me for a meal. Just the two of us." She heard the desperation in his voice. The pain they shared collectively shared was too great for them separately, but together, maybe they could heal.

"Alright."

* * *

Thor's bedroom was adorned with tapestries and carpets of ruby red that complemented the gold of the walls and floor. Ran always loved the brightness of his room in contrast with Loki's. They sat at the long dining table near the balcony with a large spread of food. Ran took very little, barely eating, while Thor took much, barely eating. They pushed their food around in silence for about fifteen minutes before it became too much to bear.

"I did not know he was going to let go." Thor began, not lifting his head from his plate. Ran sat, trying to keep herself from crying or exploding. Dropping her fork on the table, she pulled her hands up to her ears, not wanting to hear any more of his explanation.

"Ran, what he did was on his own accord. He was out of my grasp, so-"

Thor continued, only to be cut off by Ran banging her hands on the table.

"Stop!" her voice cracked from lack of use for days. "Do not tell me of your false, altruistic ideals. My brother is dead and you did nothing to save him! You did nothing!"

The look on his face changed in an instant. At that moment, she knew she had gone too far over the line.

"My brother died as well!" Thor stood, in his anger, throwing his chair behind him. "You do not tell me that I did nothing to save him! He was _my _brother! I loved him!"

Ran sat in her chair, unblinking at his actions. For minutes, she stared at her older brother, anger building up in her.

"I loved him more."

* * *

"Take Princess Ran to her chambers." Odin spoke sternly to the guards as he led his sons toward the weapons' vault.

"But Father-!" She trotted after them trio only to have him yell back at her,

"Do not try me, Ran."

Loki turned back to her, gesturing for her not to press the issue, before walking off with Thor and their father. Before she could go after them, a heavy hand fell upon her shoulder.

"Come, Princess."

Desperation built up inside of her as the three got farther and farther away from her field of vision. She knew what she had to do.

"Say," she said, looking up at the guard standing beside her. Her eyes connected with his, catching his full attention. "Would it not be safer for me to be with my Father and brothers than with you?"

She could see his internal battle between what his king told him to do and the desire to obey her commands that she had implanted in him. It was one of her gifts, being able to persuade people to do things they did not actually want to do. Not by force, really, but simply by invading their mind and moving things around. _Persuasion. _The act always made her feel guilty, but at that moment, time was of the essence.

"Of course, Your Highness."

* * *

Following the men down into the bowels of the palace, Ran stayed hidden in the shadows. She watched as her father and brothers traveled in silence, making her weary of every one of her foot falls in the dark passageway.

From the doorway of the vault, she could see the fallen guards in small pools of frozen water and the dust of the Frost Giants that had been obliterated by The Destroyer. The air was still chilled from the presence of the invaders, the dry bite of winter striking her even from far away. Her eyes jumped to the casket her father had taken from the Jotuns after the war, sitting peacefully on its pedestal. How did these men get into Asgard, she wondered. How did they slither past Heimdall the gatekeeper?

The questions that flooded her mind soon were dammed by Thor's bellowing voice echoing through the chamber. She listened to the exchange. Thor, in his strong will, wanted to go to war against the Jotuns, but their father thought differently.

"As King of Asgard-"

"But you are not king!" Odin stood above him, looking down at his son. A small glimmer of disappointment shown in Odin's eye, making it known to Ran that his worst fear had been confirmed. His son was not yet ready for the throne. "Not yet."

The look on Thor's face was that of pure anger and hurt. Ran could feel the embarrassment radiate from him. Loki stood in the corner of the room, measuring the intensity of the situation. He did not speak a word.

Nothing good could come of this, Ran decided, nothing good at all.

* * *

Ran sat on the far end of Thor's chambers, watching his tantrum with reservation. Even though he was the oldest, Thor threw more fits than Ran and Loki combined, and they were usually more volatile. The dining table was flipped, slipping all of the delicacies that were prepared for Thor as a congratulatory gesture and clanging the metal plates and goblets on the marble floor.

When his strength was exhausted, he plopped down on the steps leading to his balcony, his forearms on his knees.

He wanted war with the Frost Giants. He wanted to make them pay for even threatening Asgard with their presence. Why could he not get his father to see the same way he did? The pride of Asgard had been injured, and he wanted restitution.

From behind a pillar, Loki glided his way down to the steps and seated himself beside Thor.

"It is not wise to be in my company, brother." Thor said, trying to gain solitude, but ultimately failing as the Warriors Three and Lady Sif entered the room.

"What has happened?" Volstagg cried, looking at the food-littered ground. His cries, however, went unnoticed by the siblings.

"If it is any consolation," Loki whispered, "I think you are right. The Frost Giants need to be taught a lesson before they take more liberty with Asgard. Who is to say that they will not infiltrate again, next time with an army?"

Crossing the room, Ran sat on the opposite side of Thor, her hand on his knee. Panic rose within her, telling her that it was time to put an end to the madness. She cursed herself for her inability to control her brother's actions. She would have given anything for one moment inside of his mind if it had meant the chance to change it.

"Thor, I want you to think of what this means. Do you want to be responsible for a war?"

By this time, however, she knew her words were in vain. Thor simply smiled at her, kissing her forehead as he leaned closer.

"I have thought on this, and I have decided we travel to Jotunheim!"

* * *

Only one thing stood in the way of the small band reaching their destination; and that was Heimdall the gatekeeper. His golden eyes saw everything that happened in Asgard and the rest of the realms, and Ran was sure that he could see their intent.

"Good morning, Heimdall." Loki started, walking toward the guardian casually, trying to ease his mind to their plan.

"You are not dressed warmly enough." with that, Ran could feel the collective morale of the group plummet. She quickly walked to the guardian, a smile on her face and her eyes locked with his.

"Heimdall, do you not wish for the people that have threaten your Asgard to be punished?"

The man stood, unblinking at her. His mind was like a steel trap, almost nothing could penetrate it, and Ran was getting tired just attempting.

"Save your tricks, Princess. It is in vain."

"Enough." Thor stepped closer to Heimdall, hammer in hand. "Grant us passage to Jotunheim."

Heimdall hesitated for a moment, looking at the three royals before speaking again.

"In all my time as gatekeeper, no one has ever gotten past me. I would like to know how the Jotuns managed."

Thor's face hardened in determination, "Grant us passage to Jotunheim, then. We will ensure that it never happens again."

"Very well." Heimdall turned, walking into the portal. The other followed him, leaving Ran and Loki stunned that their brother could manage to persuade him and not them.

"That has never happened before. How embarrassing." Ran mumbled, running her thumb over the engraved handle of the large golden axe she held in her hand.

"I know the feeling." Loki grumbled next to her.

"Is something wrong, twins?" Volstagg's voice grated her nerves as he walked by them into the portal, laughing and causing Ran to grit her teeth, "Silver tongues turned to lead?"

Sharing a glare, the twins stepped in unison into the portal, Loki pulling ahead and taking his place behind Thor.

The inside of the portal, to Ran, looked as though she was stepping inside of a giant clock. Cogs and bolts decorated the copper walls, each serving a special purpose and plan.

"Be warned," Heimdall spoke as he took his place at the keyhole and pushed the blade of his sword into it, "If your return threatens Asgard, I will not open the gate."

The portal whirled around them as brilliant lights flashed in streams of electricity and power. A beam of energy shot from the portal; the gate had been opened.

"Could you not just leave the gate open?" Volstagg laughed nervously, looking back at the guardian.

"If I do that, it will unleash the full power of the Bifrost, destroying Jotunheim with you on it."

Ran swallowed hard, anxiously repositioning her armor and starching at her neck. Looking back, Thor smiled reassuringly at her and Heimdall.

"I have no plans to die today."

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**Please review! Let me know what you think and what ever else you might want to say.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, here we are at chapter three. Loki's in the beginning, so it should satisfy you people a little longer until we get to fully him and Ran.**

**I hope you guys like it. Please review. I live off of them, and I will stave and die if you do not give them to me.**

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Nighttime in Asgard was quiet. Ran sat on the roof of the palace, listening to her city sleep. A blanket of diamond-like stars cloaked the velvet sky she sat under. She tucked her knees under her forearms and let her mind go blank. Hearing the breathing of the palace, she was thankful that someone could sleep since she was unable.

A chilled wind blew past her, prompting her to tug her blanket over her shoulders. She ran her fingertips over the, now coarse, faded light green and blue linen. Her blanket was one of her most prized possessions. The old thing was tattered around the edges from her nervous habit of rubbing the material between her thumb and first two fingers, since childhood. Over and over again, her father tried to rid her of the cloth, but she could never bring herself to let go.

The calm of the night made her eyelids grow heavy. Her neck grew weary of holding her bobbing head upright. Laying her head on her forearms, she let her eyelids give in to their desires.

"You've been out here for a while now." The sound made her head bolt up. She looked over to the source, her eyes immediately loosing their sleep. Loki sat beside her, his royal garb crisp and clean; his hair neat.

"You have hurt me deeply, Ran." His elbows sat on his knees with his hand clutched together, meeting in the middle, as he watched her with dark eyes. "You have betrayed me."

She sat staring at him, her face falling into a piteous look. "No, Loki." she said, her voice small, "The game was over and I did not wish to play any longer."

"This game is far from over, sister." He spat, and with one swift motion, standing to tower over her. "My fun is just beginning."

Pushing herself to her feet, Ran moved closer to Loki, her head near his chin. The hand that did not clutch the tattered baby blanket that she had draped around her shoulders reached down to one of his that was balled up into a fist at his side. She stood on her tiptoes leaning into him as he began to close the gap between them. At once, his lips crashed onto hers, angrily, frustrated, furiously.

After a moment, they parted slightly, their green eyes locking together. There was nothing in his mind, that she could see, besides anger and rage. She shook her head, never breaking eye contact, before whispering,

"No, Loki."

The feeling of being rocked broke Ran's slumber. Slowly, her eyes opened, looking up at the edge of Thor's chin and her blanket slung over his naked shoulder.

"Thor?"

He did not look down at her, just straight ahead. With her ear against his chest, she could hear his rhythmic heartbeat and the deep grumble within him as he spoke.

"Sleep now, Ran."

Snuggling into his warm skin, she started to sink back into her sleep.

"Thor," she whispered, sleep attacking her from all sides, "I am sorry. For everything." With that, she closed her eyes. Her body was placed on a soft bed. The rough feeling of Thor's beard on her cheek, his lips leaving behind a soft kiss sent her into deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

The group landed on a cliff outside of the capital city. Snow covered the entire land as far as Ran could see, reinforcing her belief that the realm had been left as nothing but a frozen wasteland. Her ears chilled, she pulled her light blue hood over her head and watched her breath dance before her in small puffs of smoke.

"We should not be here." Hogan looked straight ahead to the city, his eyes cut. Ran stepped toward her brother, her boots crunching in the packed ice.

"Thor, let us just return to Asgard."

Staring forward, Thor started walking toward the ruins. "Return if you wish, sister."

The silence of the place was unnerving. The only sounds that made it to their ears were the sounds of their own feet crushing snow beneath them and their heart beats growing faster. They stopped in front of a large monument with a large, dark figure seated at its top.

"You've come a long way to die, Asgardians." The figure did not move as the deep grumble spilled from its lips. Ran looked intently at it, seeing its blood red eyes glaring at her brother. Thor stood, unwavering under his stare.

"I am Thor Odinson."

The hairs on the back of Ran's neck stood on end as she looked around at the hoards of Frost Giants that crawled out of crevices and caves of the dismembered city, surrounding the Asgardians.

"We know who you are."

"How did you people infiltrate Asgard?" The thunder god's voice was hard, but the Jotun sat, unaffected. The beast's eyes scanned the small party, landing on the brunette son of Odin before flashing back to Thor.

"There are many traitors in the House of Odin."

The team watched as Thor pointed Mjolnir at his enemy accusingly. "Do not dishonor my father's name with your lies!"

The Frost Giant moved out of the shadows, his eyes cut at the prince and his voice rushed with anger.

"Your father is a murderer and a thief. You do not come here seeking peace. You yearn for battle. You are nothing but a boy, trying to prove himself a man."

"This boy is growing tired of your talk."

The circle of Jotuns closed in on them, raising the anxiety level of everyone involved. Loki stepped up to his brother, laying his hand on is shoulder.

"Look around us, Thor. There are too many of them."

Thor's eyes remained unmoving, staring ahead. "Know your place, brother."

"You know not what your actions would unlease. I do. Leave now," the Frost Giant calmly leaned back into his shadow, "while we still allow it."

A forced smile cracked Loki's face as his hand now gripped his brother's shoulder fervently. "We accept your most gracious offer."

Ran's muscles relaxed slightly, seeing Thor turn around, even with his shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Run home now, little princesses."

"Damn."

A sickening crunch sounded as Ran swung her axe into the shoulder of an attacking Frost Giant, but as soon as it fell, another was was on her. She held up the handle of her weapon, using it as a shield from the ice clubs the Jotuns used. As the monster brought his arm down with the force of forty men, his club shattered on her makeshift shield, spraying her face with shards of ice and cutting her cheek.

She let out a loud grunt, shoving the Jotun away from her and swinging her axe into his forearm, severing it from his body. His scream of agony was abruptly cut off by one last hurl of her weapon.

Suddenly, she heard a sound of screaming that did not belong to any Frost Giant. Whipping around, she saw Fandral, spears of ice running through his chest.

"Fandral!" She yelled, gaining the attention of her companions. Her tired legs carried her as fast as they could to her teammate, leaping over fallen monsters and large cracks in the ice around her. She heard Sif call for Thor as she wrapped her arm around Fandral's midsection, picking him up slowly.

"We are going home, Fandral." Ran stated as his hands grew clammy in hers. Hogan joined her, taking his friend from the opposite side and sliding him off of the spike. The bloodstains that trailed behind him turned Ran's stomach. She had never really been in battle before, only training and sparring with her brothers. She was nowhere near ready enough for this type of brutality that was set before her and it became glaringly apparent to her at that moment.

The small team ran toward the place Heimdall closed the gate. To Ran, it seemed as though what had only taken five minutes before was taking an hour. The ice began to crumble underneath them as they ran. Fandral's feet drug more and more with every passing yard, making it harder for Hogan and Ran to carry him.

A ground shaking roar came from behind them and before they knew it, claws were swiping at their backs. A great animal chased after them, causing the ice to tremble with every bound of his paws. Ran looked back at the thing several times as it crawled its way to them. A loud shout of thanks came from her as she watched the beast find foul footing, causing it to tumble into the deep canyon made by the shattered ground.

Close to the entry point, Volstagg screamed for Heimdall to open the Bifrost and received no answer back. Ran looked around, scanning their party and noticing something very important.

"We've left Thor!" she yelled. Desperation welled up within her as she looked at the fallen faces of the others. She opened her mouth to protest leaving without him, but was cut off by the quaking of the cliff they stood on. In a moment's time, the mighty claw of the beast that had once chased them emerged from the side of the cliff, letting out a deep roar. Ran closed her eyes, squeezing Fandral's arm that she held on her shoulders, waiting for the pain of being mauled to death by the ferocious thing, but it never came. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw the beast clutching the side of the cliff, a hole straight through his open mouth and the back of his head, allowing the dark sky to be shown through the other side. As it fell, she saw Thor standing on the edge of the cliff, hammer in hand and in a battle stance.

Frost Giants pushed them toward the cliff behind them, surrounding them from the front sides. Ran gripped her axe with one hand and Fandral with the other, ready to fight until the bitter end, but, as though Odin himself was listening to her pleas, the Bifrost opened. In a second, Odin stood before them, his horse towering above even the tallest Jotun.

"Father!" Thor yelled, a wide smile on his face, "We can finish them together!"

Odin looked down at him, disappointment in his gaze, "Silence."

Ran watched the Giant with the red eyes stretch out of his fight stance and closed the gap between them with a small ice bridge. The two looked at each other for a moment before the Jotun's gruff voice sounded.

"Allfather, you look weary" The Jotun's eyes searched the Asgardian's face, looking for any remnant of his old foe and, disappointingly, finding little.

"Laufy, end this now." Odin said in a firm voice.

"You boy sought this out." Laufy rebutted, his pointed teeth barely parting as he spoke.

"You're right. And these are the actions of a boy. Treat them as such. You and I can end this; here, now. Before there's further bloodshed."

"He'll get what he came for— War and death." The ring of the word 'war' sent chills up Ran's spine. Everything she feared had come true.

"So be it." With that, her father sealed the argument and Ran's heart sank into her stomach.

* * *

At the portal, Odin walked into the room, ripping Heimdall's sword from it's perch before tossing it the guardian.

"Take him to the healing room." His voice hadn't changed from it's authoritative tone. The warriors limped out of the room, carrying Fandral on their shoulders while the royal siblings stayed behind with their father.

"Why did you bring us back?" Thor demanded, stalking after his father. Odin stood in the center of the portal on the pedestal, looking down at his rebellious son.

"Do you not realize what you've done?"

"I was protecting our kingdom." Thor shot back, his anger rising.

"You cannot even protect your own friends, how do you expect to protect the kingdom?" The purely accusatory question caused the thunder god to step back a moment before returning with even more force.

"There won't be a kingdom to protect if you are too afraid to act. The Jotuns must learn to fear me, just as they once feared you."

Odin stared at him, unbelievingly. He could not fathom the talk that spewed from his own son's mouth.

"That's pride and vanity talking, not leadership. You've forgotten everything I've taught you— about a warrior's patience-"

Ran could feel Thor's blood boil from across the room where she stood behind Loki's arm, peeking out to watch the exchange. This was a tantrum, she decided, just a tantrum that would subside any moment.

"While you wait and be patient, the nine realms laugh at us. The old ways are done! You'd stand giving speeches while Asgard falls."

"You are a vain, greedy, cruel boy!" Odin's rage clashed with Thor's, made even worse by the fact that Odin is from whom Thor obtained his anger.

"And you are an old man and a fool!"

The group sat in silence for a moment. Ran's fingers dug into the bend in Loki's elbow as she held her breath, waiting for the situation to deescalate, but she would have had to wait forever.

"Yes… I was a fool to think you were ready"

"Father-" Loki stepped toward the men only to be shoved back in his place by Odin's wrath.

"Thor Odinson, you have betrayed the express command of you king. Through your arrogance and stupidity, you have opened these peaceful realms and innocent lives to the horror and desolation of war." The Allfather jammed his scepter into the port, jumpstarting the portal and opening a gate almost immediately.

"You are unworthy of these wears."

He made his way to his eldest son, ripping away his armor and royal cape. "You are unworthy of your title. You are unworthy!"

The words drove like a spike into Ran's heart as she watched her family unravel.

"You are unworthy of these loved ones you have betrayed." Thor slightly tilted his head, looking to his brother and sister. He saw Ran shaking her head in disbelief before turning her gaze from him, and Loki stare at him with pity.

"I now take from you your power. In the name of my father and his father before him, I, Odin Allfather, cast you out!"

In a brilliant spark of light, Thor was throw backward into the stream of energy that coursed from the portal. Ran walked to the portal slowly, staring at the path her brother had taken, before being yanked backward by Loki, Thor's hammer narrowly missing her head as it flew into the stream after its master.

Tears dripped from Ran's eyes as she leaned back against Loki, steadying herself. Breath returned to her lungs. She looked back at the opening of the portal toward the Bifrost to see her father walking hurriedly home, his scepter almost dragging on the ground as he strode.

Loki wrapped his hands around her forearms, pulling her back to his chest, and kissed her on the side of her head.

"All will be well." he whispered, "I promise. Just wait and see."

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**Please, please, PLEASE review! I need the encouragement!**


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